BBC Strictly Come Dancing legend reveals reason she quit show and career change

Edinburgh Live

2 days ago

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Strictly Come Dancing icon Flavia Cacace has opened up about her decision to swap the glitz of the dance floor for a life of farming after departing the hit show over a decade ago. The 45 year old graced the Strictly stage as a professional from 2006 to 2012, having joined the series with her then-dance partner Vincent Simone.
Post-Strictly, Flavia tied the knot with EastEnders actor Jimi Mistry, whom she met on the show, and in 2021, the couple embraced rural life in Devon, cultivating vegetables and rearing farm animals. Flavia has now shared the reasons behind her dramatic career shift.
Speaking on ITV's Lorraine this morning, Flavia explained: "I never retired, I just needed a break. I toured for eight years and when me and Vincent started touring, we would do seven, eight shows a week in each venue. We did that for eight years - I stopped in 2018, I was just exhausted."
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She elaborated on the toll the intense schedule took on her, saying, "It was the body and the brain, it's both things - and obviously, I'd been living out of a suitcase, from hotel to hotel. I needed that break and Covid came and it was one of those things where we said, 'Let's just go to the countryside.'".
Flavia also mentioned her deep bond with animals, noting that she and Jimi have been enjoying their pastoral lifestyle for half a decade now, reports the Mirror.
During her time on Strictly, Flavia reached the final with EastEnders' Matt Di Angelo in 2007, finishing as runner-up, and later clinched victory with Olympic gymnast Louis Smith in what would be her last series on the show.
Matt and Flavia sparked a romance following their stint on Strictly, with the duo being an item until 2010.
Flavia is now set to dazzle audiences once more as she embarks on a national tour with former Strictly sensation Oti Mabuse.
After bidding farewell to Strictly in 2021, Oti has been a familiar face on shows like I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, Celebrity Bake Off, and Big Brother: Late and Live. She also served as a judge on Dancing on Ice before its cancellation this year and hosted Oti Mabuse's Breakfast Show on ITV.
In other Strictly news, Love Island victor Dani Dyer is reportedly joining the dance floor for this year's edition of Strictly Come Dancing.
Fresh from tying the knot with footballer Jarrod Bowen, Dani has allegedly inked a preliminary contract for the show and is currently negotiating her salary, as per The Sun.
A source close to Strictly revealed to The Sun that BBC chiefs are "thrilled" about her participation and are finalising her payment details. They commented: "She's bubbly, down-to-earth and straight-talking and producers reckon she'll make an ideal contestant - not to mention the bonus of having Jarrod and dad Danny in the audience supporting her."
Catch Lorraine every weekday morning at 9am on ITV1 and ITVX.